KarmaBum Camping Cuisine
One burner camping cuisine presents some challenges, but shouldn't reduce you to living on bread and cheese. OK, you have to be able to juggle a bit, but the end result will be worth it. Our favorites on the road are pasta dishes and stir-fries. Non-stick fry pans make great wok pots, and there's no law against quick rice when you're on the road.
Many great KarmaBum pasta meals begin with a basic marinara sauce. Add what you will to beef it up. When it's done, set it aside and cover, cook the pasta, drain it, and return it to the fire to cook off excess water. Add sauce. Now you can have the bread, and cheese, and wine, and salad. Bon apetit!
A basic stir fry vegetable recipe can easily be modified with meat or fish. For instance, you might use this Kung Pao Chicken recipe, and add the vegetable along with the garlic and ginger. Buy local ingredients and have fun.
Local ingredients are also great for tossing into a pot for soup. Keep the dried soups on hand to simplify the Budget Hotels and add a bit of flavor.
For more quick camping recipes you might try:
Camping Europe
Rules and Packing Lists (everything you need to know)
If you were to spend your entire vacation in a European campground, never visiting a monument or museum, or walking the streets of those famous cities, you'd miss some great experiences, but the trip would still be worth it. Believe us . . . this camping Europe thing is a trip unto itself!
In many of the campgrounds you'll find laundry facilities, mini-markets, cafes, bars, restaurants, and Europeans as your neighbors! If you like meeting people, we don't think that there is a better way to see Europe. Take a virtual trip to the camping Europe links here just to see what's waiting for you . . .
Rule #1 -- if it doesn't fit in one backpack or duffel style bag and one carry-on daypack -- buy it when you get there.
Rule #2 -- What are you going to use for a pillow? Think about it before leaving.
Rule #3 -- Take an umbrella and comfortable shoes that dry quickly.
Rule #4 -- You won't find picnic tables so if you think you might want something to sit on buy lawn chairs early on so you get your money's worth of sitting.
Rule #5 -- If you're flying into Paris and camping at the Bois de Boulogne there is an excellent supermarket in easy walking distance (don't drive). Go right outside the campground, take the first right -- it's a bridge that goes over the river -- stock up there with the things you'll need and grab a box for your food box.
Camping & Wash-up Gear
- Tent
- Ground cloth
- Sleeping bag & air mattress/pad
- Mallet
- Rope
- Clothes pins
- Flashlight
- Flip-flops
- Shaving kit
- Light towel for fast drying
- Wash cloth
Clothes (Including what you fly in)
- Long pants (3)
- Shorts (1)
- Sweater (1)
- Underwear (4)
- Socks (4)
- Long-sleeve knit or insulated shirt (1)
- Windbreaker (1)
- Long sleeve button-up shirt (3)
- Hat or cap
- Don't forget books, addresses, camera and film
Cookery
Karmabumming not only saves you money, it provides you with unforgettable experiences along the way. Breaking bread and sharing wine with your campground neighbors, shopping the markets for meals, and throwing together some of your most memorable meals with a one-burner stove, one pan, one pot and a bottle of wine . . .these are the good times you won't forget. Check out our kitchen on the last trip . . .
Our best advice for campground cookery is, "when in Rome, mangia come mangiano i romani." We use the the two and one plan. Two meals from our picnic basket earns us one meal in a restaurant or cafe.
What should you have in your traveler's picnic basket? European campgrounds usually provide dish wash-up areas, sometimes Budget Hotels areas, but no tables or fire pits. Depending how long your trip will be consider our checklist:
Utensil basics |
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Foodstuffs basics |
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Sitting Down to Eat |
| Sitting down to eat can be a bit of a problem. Most of the campgrounds don't provide tables. An early purchase of some camping chairs is advisable. The flea market might be just the place for this, or look for discards that can be repaired. I was once laughed at and derided for repairing old chairs (a little rope is all it takes), but the least laugher laughed last as the chairs became quite popular with my fellow travelers. At any rate, a little improvisation can add to your comfort, and if you're comfortable you'll get more enjoyment from your good Budget Hotels. |
- One burner camping stove
- Mug (for coffee, cereal, soup, etc.)
- Spoon and fork
- Swiss army knife
- Small cutting board
- Corkscrew
- One cup drip coffee maker
- Dish towels (2)
- Cigarette lighter
- Dish soap
Rule #6 -- For shorter stays don't worry about an ice chest. Buy things as you need them and use the sterilized milk.
Rule #7 -- Take road maps with, and consider taking the relevant pages from AA Camping Europe
Rule #8 -- Money belt and/or around the neck passport carrier.
Rule #9 -- Remember there will be ups and downs -- deal with the downs and stay positive.